It was nearly evening by the time Luna and Nala reluctantly retreated back to Gregor's home, leaving Sero and Amaya alone in the makeshift infirmary warehouse. The earlier clamor from visitors and survivors died down, leaving the place eerily quiet except for the occasional groan or muffled sob. Moss and Lime had forcibly materialized themselves and gently snuggled up to Amaya, as if the dragon twins knew that she was still fragile.

Whether it was due to his skills or stubborn nature, Sero had almost completely recovered from his fight against Apep, but chose to remain by Amaya's side while she healed. Hands behind his head, Sero glanced up at the ceiling of the warehouse as the pair laid in silence for a moment.

"You know," Sero began, his voice barely above a whisper, "I never thanked you properly."

"For what?" Amaya asked, her voice barely above a whisper as well.

"For basically setting me up after I returned to Earth. You helped me find a place, loaned some money, registered with different organizations... not to mention you tried everything in your power to help my dad," Sero quietly explained. "When I think about it, there was no reason for you to go so far for me, even if you were initially doing so as a liaison."

Amaya didn't reply for a moment. She took a deep breath.

"Honestly, I didn't really think much of it either. I just- I think that seeing your situation reminded me of my own when the apocalypse happened."

Sero recalled her telling him about her family. How her parents had perished from the beginning, followed by her sister some time after. He wanted to comfort her, but didn't know what to say.

"I'm glad I got to meet you," he finally said, "Even if it was in such a messed up way."

A soft, genuine chuckle escaped Amaya's lips. "I'm glad too. You were like a breath of fresh air when I first met you." Her hand reached out and touched his, their fingers intertwining gently. "Even if you were kind of a dick sometimes."

"That's... fair," Sero admitted, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. "I'll try to be better." His fingers gave hers a gentle squeeze.

"Not that I'm particularly fond of your personality, but don't change overnight, okay? It feels weird to say, but having gotten used to your... habits, I think it'd be more creepy if you were to turn into a good person right away." Amaya grinned, a playful glint in her eyes.

"Oh? You're saying I can keep looking at other women and obsessively copy Skills?" Sero teased back, earning him a painful pinch from the Spellblade. "I'm joking, I'm joking."

"Good," Amaya said with a satisfied grin. Although she was smiling, it gradually faded from her face. "Actually, be honest with me. Did you really find me that attractive, or was it just because of your lust?"

Sero paused for a moment, considering her question. "It was... a mix, I think. I mean, you're not unattractive, but at the beginning, it was more about me just... appreciating women. You were someone that I just met, and I thought it would be fun to... treat you as any other." He shrugged. "But as time went on, I started to genuinely like you, you know? Not just your Skills or your appearance."

Amaya seemed deep in thought. "So, did that mean you viewed me like all the other women in your life? Nala, Luna, Kit, and countless others?"

"Well," Sero hesitated, "You're making me sound a lot worse than I think I am. But, yeah, I guess."

Amaya laughed lightly. "It's okay. I understand. People see what they want to see, and sometimes they just latch onto one thing and ignore everything else. It's human nature, I suppose."

One of the medics announced to the infirmary warehouse that the main lights would turn off, but nightlights would remain active for safety reasons. As the warehouse darkened, Sero found it hard to see Amaya clearly in the dim glow.

"But, why me? I know you were interested in Nala at some point, and Kit was practically throwing herself at you, although in hindsight it might've been due to her brother complex," Amaya quietly asked after a while.

"Truth to be told, it wasn't until we cuddled for the first time that I realized I had feelings for you," Sero admitted with a sigh. "And I think that's when things got complicated. I started to see you differently, not just as someone I could rely on, but as someone who made my heart race. Someone I wanted to be with, even when we weren't in the middle of an apocalypse."

Before, it was hard for Sero to even think about such things, but after countless close encounters with death and being pushed to the absolute limits of his physical and mental strength, the words were easily flowing out.

"It got me thinking of all the times you helped me out without me asking. Like, I know you were probably doing it because you saw a part of yourself in me, but in my eyes, it was something I've never experienced before," he continued, "No one tried to selflessly help me the way that you did, and honestly, it felt nice. The last time I felt like I mattered was when my... when my mom was alive." Those last words caught in his throat.

Amaya looked away, her eyes softening. "I'm sorry about your mom," she said softly. "I know what it's like to lose someone you care about."

"Right." Compared to him, Amaya had lost more people. Even though it wasn't a competition, Sero couldn't help but feel as if she had suffered more pain than he did.

They lapsed back into comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the warehouse gradually stilling. Then, Sero heard a shuffle, followed by a soft warmth entering his bed and snuggling up to him.

"Hey," Sero whispered, wrapping his arms around Amaya and holding her tightly. "What are you doing?"

Amaya smiled, resting her head against his chest. "I just wanted to be close to you for a little while," she replied softly. "I feel like I won't be able to do that in a while, what with everything that's been going on."

"Well, if you keep doing things like this, I'll seriously think we're officially dating..." Sero murmured, half-serious. He felt the bed creak as Moss and Lime hopped up to join them, their warm bodies adding an extra coziness.

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The Spellblade giggled, burying her face further into Sero's chest. "Really?" she asked, sounding hopeful. "You mean it?"

"Wait, I thought we were taking things slow," Sero replied, scowling as Lime's tail gently whipped his face. "But I'm not against it if you aren't."

Amaya didn't say anything, keeping her face buried in his chest as she breathed in his familiar scent. She was quiet for a long moment before finally speaking. "I don't know," she said softly. "I mean, I want to be with you, but... I have a feeling things are going to get worse from here on out. I don't want you to have to worry about me during times of strife and stress."

Sero felt a pang in his chest. He understood her concerns, but he didn't want her to push him away. He wanted to be there for her, to be her support system. "I'll be honest," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "things have been tough lately, but... I don't know. I just feel like... I've never felt this way about anyone before."

"Really? What about Elizabeth?"

Sero's heart skipped a beat. Lime, sensing that the mood had changed, stilled her tail. Even Moss shifted uncomfortably, readjusting her wings.

"Um... well, we actually spoke again in the association building, before the Catastrophe happened," Sero began, quickly rushing his words. "She- I mean, I talked it out with her. She only sees me as a friend."

Amaya raised her head to look at him, her eyes wide with surprise. "Really? Even after all that time, she still doesn't see you as anything more?"

"That... I mean, I thought there was something between us, but I guess I was wrong. She firmly stated that we should set boundaries so that you wouldn't think that there was anything happening between us."

For some reason, Sero felt Amaya stiffen in his arms.

"Champion... even I know that was not something you should have said..." Aphiel's voice suddenly spoke in his mind. She sounded both exasperated and sympathetic.

"What? Why?" Sero thought back, nervously staring back at Amaya.

"Goddess I may be, even I understand her heart as a woman. Think about it from her perspective. A loved one, stating that another competitor wishes to establish boundaries for the sake of her feelings? How would you interpret that?"

"I don't–"

"I see," Amaya finally spoke, her blue eyes still locked onto his. Sero felt as if he were a deer caught in the headlights. "And she said she only saw you as a friend?"

"Um, yeah..." Sero nervously replied. "What's... what are you thinking?"

Amaya continued to stare at him long and hard before her gaze finally softened, and she fell back into his chest. "Again, for a Scholar, you sure are slow on the uptake."

Sero blinked, unsure how to respond. "What... do you mean?"

She inhaled slowly, relaxing her body. The dragon twins seemed to sense the tension dissipating, as they followed Amaya's lead.

"Elizabeth has feelings for you too, Sero. Maybe not in the same way, but she does care for you. If she wanted to remain friends, she would've told you that you both needed some space from each other until you and I were stable."

Amaya paused for a moment, thinking about her own words. "I'm not asking you to choose between us. I know how important your friendship with her is. I just... I don't want to have to compete with her."

"How do you know–" Sero stopped himself, recalling how Elizabeth had stated that she didn't want to lose Sero either, in response to his own declaration of not wanting to lose her. Did that mean that Amaya was right? Had he unknowingly led her on?

The Spellblade softly hit his chest with her fist. "Ugh, and here I thought your personality would ward off other women, but I guess with the rapid growth you've been going through, it's not enough."

Sero felt himself blush, and he buried his face in her hair. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it seem like that. You're right. I should have been more careful with what I said." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I'll try to be more aware of how my words might affect her, and I'll make sure to be honest with both of you from now on."

"Where has this Sero been all this time?" Amaya quietly teased back. "But, it's okay. As much as I want you all to myself, you're right- we're supposed to be taking it slow. And if it comes down to it, I think... I think I'll be okay if you were to choose Elizabeth over me."

Her words stung, and Sero knew they shouldn't have. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but the weight of the words was too much. Instead, he squeezed her tightly, not wanting to let go. Three words burned in the back of his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to say them.

----------------------------------------

"Max hasn't come back yet?" Dune sauntered in the meeting room of the association, finding Enzo drinking alone.

"Not yet. But you know how Max is. Always late, always busy." Enzo sighed. "He's been distracted ever since the Boss brought up the Silverbloods, tirelessly working with the relief team to clear debris in the Zone. Dante and Meredith are also out there, but they'll be returning soon for an update from Kit."

"Silverbloods still a touchy subject, huh?" Dune grinned, taking a seat opposite of Enzo. He adjusted his sunglasses, which were still a strange accessory to be wearing inside the dimly lit meeting room. "You want a drinking buddy?"

"Always," the Demonic Judge bared his teeth, pouring a glass and sliding it over to Dune.

They drank in silence for a moment, the click of glasses on wood filling the room.

"You know, I don't really get it," Dune said, finally. "Why does he care so much about these Silverbloods?"

"You're kidding, right? That's basically half of Max's personality," Enzo retorted with a scowl. "Before he joined us, Max was part of the Silverbloods. That mercenary group was exclusive to Ascendants with the ability to wield any type of metal."

"Ah, I see," Dune nodded. "So something happened for him to have a falling out with them?"

"Fuck if I know," Enzo shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "The only one who knows all of our past histories is the Boss. I might like you guys, but I don't know more than the reason why the Boss chose y'all to join." The Demonic Judge paused for a moment. "I take that back, out of all of us, you're the one who's openly talked about your crimes."

Dune grinned widely. "As the third richest man alive, it's not hard to figure out. All my crimes were related to money one way or another. I was a thief, a con artist, a blackmailer, a briber, a money launderer. You name it, I did it. But the thing is, I was good at it. Real good." The Merchant King chuckled, shaking his head. "Until I was thrown into prison. But then the apocalypse happened and I got these abilities."

Enzo huffed in a laughing manner. "Guess you could say the same for me."

"Mr. Stone never fully disclosed it, but you were in prison for murder, correct? There are quite a number of Ascendants who were formerly murderers, but what makes you so special? If I may ask," Dune kicked back, sipping his drink as he pulled out a cigar.

For a moment, Enzo didn't reply, scratching at a particular tattoo on his neck.

"Our Classes are based off our personalities, right? Stuff like what we did also influences it. I guess in my case, with the murder of my parents along with other criminals, whatever higher being gave me my Class seemed to think it was fitting for my vigilante shit to be renamed to Demonic Judge." Enzo scowled.

"Huh," Dune grunted, lighting up his cigar. "Well, I guess it's like that for everyone, huh? I mean, look at Maxxy boy. With a Class like Iron Tyrant, it leaves little to the imagination."

The meeting door slammed open and in walked the aforementioned, scowling when he saw Enzo. "You guys talking shit about me?"

Dune grinned. "No, Max. Enzo and I were discussing the crimes that caused Mr. Stone to seek redemption for us."

Maximillian plopped down in the chair at one of the heads of the table, motioning for Enzo to pour him a drink. Enzo obliged with a sneer. "I'd appreciate it if you guys didn't pry into my past. That's for me, Gregor, and those involved to know."